Retired generals rally behind embattled Marine officers

A group of retired military generals rallied yesterday behind two embattled Marine officers who were sacked Thursday for testifying before the Senate on alleged fraud in last year’s presidential election.

However, the newly formed United Reformist Generals and Senior Officers believe that Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani and Lt. Col. Alexander Balutan broke the military chain of command when they defied an order from the Commander-in-Chief not to testify without her permission.

On the other hand, retired Armed Forces chief Joselyn Nazareno said Gudani and Balutan were also duty-bound to speak out about supposed military wrongdoing during the last elections.

"Well, (Gen.) Gudani did his duty," said Nazareno who was Armed Forces chief under President Joseph Estrada.

"He wanted to speak so we respected his right to speak."

But retired Navy Commodore Rex Robles, a member of the Feliciano Commission that investigated the roots of a short-lived military mutiny in 2003, said: "How can we not support a person who wants to tell the truth? What’s wrong with that? But I support the chief of staff in punishing them for deliberately disregarding superior officers."

"Don’t talk about a coup, malayo yan (That’s farfetched)," he said. "This is a process of the system trying to cure itself in spite of the fact that the leadership is no longer making effective or judicious actions."

On the other hand, retired Maj. Gen. Fortunato Abat, a former defense secretary and Army chief, said their group fully supports Gudani and Balutan.

"We support them (Gudani and Balutan), morally, yes," he said.

The two were just following the Philippine Military Academy honor code — not to steal, cheat, or lie and not to tolerate those who break it, he added.

Some 40 retired officers attended the meeting of the United Reformist Generals and Senior Officers at the Club Filipino in San Juan.

Also present were retired Philippine Constabulary chief Ramon Montaño, and retired Brigadier Generals Tomas Diaz, Pedro Navarro, and Angel Sadang, retired Chief Superintendent Roberto Calinisan, and retired Col. Mariano Santiago.

Nazareno and Abat said the military should not intervene in the political crisis.

"My stand is the chain of command, from the chief of staff down, should be maintained," Nazareno said. "Whatever political problem we have now, let it be solved by the Filipino leaders. I hope the chain of command will hold."

"I am against a coup, I am against it because it will turn the country into (a) very sad state of destabilization," Abat said.

On the other hand, Montaño said the relief of Gudani and Balutan has stirred another controversy in the military that is affecting the morale of troops.

Disgruntled soldiers should "examine their conscience," he added but refused to say what action they should take.

Meanwhile, the shadowy Young Officers Union of the new generation said yesterday in a statement signed under the pseudonym Lt. Col. Arsenio Alcantara that the military should protect, instead of admonish, Gudani and Balutan for telling the truth.

"Why do you think Mrs. Arroyo is moving heaven and earth to prevent the two gentlemen from testifying?" read the statement.

"To the extent of giving a personal order to desist from appearing at such hearings. Now, are we not the one telling the truth?

"Haven’t we told the Filipino people about the names involved? Haven’t we insisted that General Esperon and others connived with the President to rig the 2004 polls? Then how can we be bogus after all?" — Jaime Laude